1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to an animal sling and more particularly to an animal sling adapted to permit a four-legged animal to be raised off the ground and to be held in such an elevated position for an extended period of time.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
When livestock become ill or are injured, they sometimes seek relief by lying down on their sides. However, they often have trouble getting back up to a standing position and sometimes do not have the will to get up. When livestock remain in a downed position, it does not take very long before their legs begin to atrophy and other adverse effects begin to show.
Because of this problem, farmers must from time to time encourage or assist livestock in getting up from a downed position. Due to the size and weight of larger livestock such as cattle, there is very little one can do without power lifting equipment to assist an animal in getting up. Even with lifting equipment, there is not much that can be done because most such equipment is ill-suited for raising a downed animal to a standing position.
Because of this need, various types of lifts have been developed to assist the farmer. One such apparatus takes the form of a so-called hip-lifter, which comprises a simple clamp-like means which is tightened onto the hips of the animal, typically a cow or bull, and is then elevated by power means such as a front end loader, until the animal is raised sufficiently that it can stand.
The problem with hip-lifters is that they often result in the animal being bruised, and, if used for more than a very short period, can result in permanent injury to the animal. A wide canvas strap has been used in conjunction with a conventional hip-lifter to bear some of the weight of the animal and thereby reduce the possibility of bruising. However, this hip-lifter/canvas strap design still does not evenly distribute the weight of the animal, so it can similarly only be used for a relatively short period. Moreover, the animal is quite unstable and if it struggles, which often may be expected, it could fall from the hip-lifter. Also, the use of canvas or a similar nonporous material can result in discomfort to the animal if used for a prolonged period.
To overcome some of the drawbacks of conventional hip-lifters, a ring-like, inflatable lifter has been developed which is to be slipped around the downed animal and then inflated, thereby raising the animal off the ground. Like the hip-lifter, this does not provide any means for supporting the animal in a raised position for anything other than a very shorter time.
As mentioned above, the need exists for an apparatus for holding an animal in a raised position for a substantial period of time. There are several reasons why such a need exists. First, livestock and other animals often incur leg injuries which can only heal through rest. Unfortunately, if the animal attempts to rest in a downed position, atrophy of the other limbs and other related problem arise. By holding the animal off the ground during healing of the limb, such drawbacks are avoided. To be effective, however, such an apparatus must be able to hold the animal so that even if the animal struggles, it will not injure itself or fall from the support. It may also be desirable to hold the animal in position for other reasons, such as for mating or artificial insemination, for weighing the animal, for birthing purposes, for milking or for calf nursing. Under other circumstances it may be desirable to restrain an animal which is like to become uncontrollable. For example, a veal calf is typically never removed from its stall until time for slaughter. Such animals become extremely disturbed upon being removed from their stall for the first time, and could present problems without an effective means of restraint.
U.S. Pat. No. D.201,010 discloses an animal restraint which is apparently designed to be used with dogs. It appears to permit the dog to be raised off the ground by supporting its entire torso. One drawback with this design is that it is not in any way adjustable to accommodate animals of different size. Moreover, means is not provided for the udders or sex organs of the animal, which obviously are of substantial size in larger livestock. Also, because narrow straps appear to hold the entire weight of the animal, it is unlikely that the patented design could be used for an extended period of time without extreme discomfort to the animal. Yet another drawback is that the sex organs are apparently not exposed, so the apparatus is not usable for mating purposes.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an animal support which overcomes the drawbacks and limitations of the prior art proposals. More specifically, the present invention has the following as its objects: (1) to develop an animal sing which may be slid under downed livestock permit the livestock to be raised to an elevated position held there for a substantial period for time; (2) to provide an apparatus for supporting an animal while leaving the sex organs and udders exposed to prevent injury and to permit mating; (3) the development of means for restraining animals which may be usable during birthing, milking, nursing, artificial insemination, medical procedures, weighing, and similar activities; and (4) the provision of an animal sling which is adjustable to accommodate animals of widely differing sizes.